Jigsaw puzzle having cubic playing pieces

ABSTRACT

The jigsaw puzzle has a number of cubic playing pieces. On each of the six facets of each playing piece is displayed a segment of one of six different pictures. When the facets of one such picture all face upward and the cubes are correctly arranged side by side each other, the upwardly facing segments of the picture combine to display the complete picture. Similarly, when the cubes are arranged in turn so that the segments of the other five pictures are facing upwardly, the segments combined to display in turn the five other pictures. A magnetized sheet is provided on which the cubes are placed. The cubes are attracted to the sheet and remain stationary once they are placed on it so that it is unnecessary for the cubes to interlock to remain stationary when the puzzle is being worked on.

This application claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 119 of provisional patent application No. 61/344,633 filed in the United States Patent & Trademark Office on Sep. 2, 2010 the entire contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to jigsaw puzzles and more particularly to a jigsaw puzzle having cubic playing pieces which assemble into up to six different pictures.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A conventional jigsaw puzzle is composed of irregular interlocking pieces, usually cut from cardboard, bearing segments of a picture. A player in solving the puzzle must first spread out the pieces on a flat surface and arrange them so that the upper face of each piece displays a segment of the picture. The player must then interconnect the pieces so that the segments combine to display the complete picture. When the pieces do so, the puzzle is solved

Usually the pieces of the puzzle display segments of a single picture on one of their faces while the opposite faces of the pieces are left blank. Occasionally however, to add a degree of difficulty in solving the puzzle, both bottom and top surfaces of the pieces display segments of the same picture or of two different pictures. In solving the latter jigsaw puzzle, a player must first examine each piece to determine which segment on each surface of the piece belongs to which picture. Once he has made that determination, he must then interconnect the piece with other pieces in such a way that the interconnected pieces all display segments of the same picture on their surfaces which face in the same direction.

I have invented a jigsaw puzzle which adds a further degree of difficulty and hence challenge in the solution of a jigsaw puzzle. Instead of flat pieces I use cubes which display segments of up to six different pictures on their faces or facets. Thus, before a player attempts to arrange the cubes to complete a picture, he must determine which of up to six different segments on each cube is part of the picture which he is attempting to complete. The cubes are arranged on a flat surface and to ensure that they remain stationary once they are placed on the surface, a magnetized sheet which serves as the flat surface is optionally provided.

The cubes are magnetically attracted to the magnetized sheet and remain stationary once they are placed on the surface. As a result, it is unnecessary for the cubes be interlocked unlike the playing pieces of conventional jigsaw puzzles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly, the jigsaw puzzle of my invention includes a plurality of cubes each having, on at least the first and second facets thereof, segments of two different pictures. The first facets when all facing upward and correctly arranged side by side each other, combine to display one picture, while the second facets when all facing upward and correctly arranged side by side each other, combine to display a second picture.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The jigsaw puzzle of the invention is described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the magnetized sheet and cubes separate from one another;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one of the cubes illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevation of the cubes arranged to display a picture of a Great Dane;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the frame and the magnetized sheet within the frame.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the description of the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to FIGS. 1-3, the jigsaw puzzle of the invention includes a number of cubes 12 and a magnetized sheet 14. Each cube has the segment of a different picture on one of its faces or facets 16. When the cubes are placed such that the segments of the picture are all facing upward and when the cubes are correctly arranged side by side each other, the facets combine to display the picture illustrated in FIG. 3.

Each facet of the cube sets out or displays the segment of a different picture. Since each cube has six facets, six different pictures are displayed by the cubes when combined as in FIG. 3.

With reference to FIG. 2, the facets 16 of the illustrated cube are composed of relatively stiff metallic or non-metallic sheet material such as cardboard. The material may or may not be attracted to a magnet. The interior of the cube contains steel wool 17 which, of course, is attracted to a magnet. The cube is accordingly attracted to magnetized sheet 14 of FIG. 1.

The facets of the cube may alternatively be composed of thin sheets of material such as steel or iron in which case steel wool is not necessary for the magnetized sheet to attract the cube. As a further alternative, the facets of the cube may be composed of ferromagnetic material which serves as a magnet to attract the sheet 14. In the latter case, sheet 14 is composed of material which will attract a magnet but need not be magnetized itself.

Whatever the cubes and the sheet are composed of, they should attract each other to hold the cubes to the sheet while the puzzle is being worked on.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 4, sheet 14 lies on the base of frame 18. Upstanding side walls 20 are formed on each side of the base and upstanding front and back walls 24 are formed on the front and back of the frame.

The side, front and back walls of the frame are located such as to contain all of the cubes. As a result when the cubes are arranged side by side each other on the magnetized sheet, the walls of the frame prevent the cubes from falling out of the frame as well as prevent the cubes from moving within the frame.

The object of the jigsaw puzzle is to search in turn for the segment of one of the six possible pictures on each cube. The cubes are then placed so that the facets of the cubes on which the segments appear face upward. The cubes are then arranged so that the segments combine to display the selected picture in its entirety. The jigsaw puzzle accordingly adds an additional degree of difficulty over a conventional jigsaw puzzle, The additional difficulty results from the fact that each cube has six possible faces which combine to form the selected picture As a result the facet of each cube must be examined in turn for the segment which is part of the selected picture. If the various pictures are similar, the task of finding the correct segment may add significantly to the difficulty and hence the challenge of solving the puzzle. By contrast, conventional pieces of a jigsaw puzzle are usually considerably easier to solve since they have only one or two faces which must be examined before the pieces of the puzzle are ready to combine with other pieces to display a picture.

As indicated previously, the magnetized sheet, which is an optional component of the jigsaw puzzle of the invention, serves to immobilize the cubes once they are placed on it. As a result, the cubes need not be interlocked to prevent them from separating from one another should the cubes or magnetized sheet be jarred or otherwise be disturbed while the puzzle is being worked on. This is to be contrasted with the flat pieces of a conventional jigsaw puzzle which must interlock to hold the pieces in place while the puzzle is being worked on.

It will be understood, of course, that modifications can be made in the structure of the jigsaw puzzle described above without departing from the scope and purview of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, not all of the facets of each cubes may display the segment of a different picture. One or more of the facets of a cube may be blank or may display the same segment as another facet of the same cube. 

I claim:
 1. A jigsaw puzzle including: a plurality of cubes each having, on first and second facets thereof, segments of first and second pictures, respectively; said first facets when all facing upward and correctly arranged side by side each other, combining to display an entire said first picture while said second facets when all facing upward and correctly arranged side by side each other, combining to display an entire said second picture.
 2. The jigsaw puzzle of claim 1 further including a sheet on which said cubes are adapted to be placed, said cubes being magnetized and said sheet being magnetically attracted to said cubes.
 3. The jigsaw puzzle of claim 1 further including a sheet on which said cubes are adapted to be placed, said sheet being magnetized and said cubes being magnetically attracted to said sheet.
 4. The jigsaw puzzle of claim 1 further including a frame having a sheet at the base thereof, upstanding side walls on each side thereof and upstanding front and back walls on the front and back of said frame, said frame being dimensioned to accommodate said cubes therein such that when said cubes are arranged side by side each other on said sheet to form said picture, said side, front and back walls confine said cubes therein and prevent said cubes from moving within said frame, one of said cubes and said sheet being magnetized such that said cubes are attracted to said sheet.
 5. The jigsaw puzzle of claim 4 wherein said sheet is magnetized and each said cube is hollow for receipt of steel wool to which said sheet is attracted.
 6. A jigsaw puzzle including: a plurality of cubes each having six facets, one of said facets in each said cube displaying a segment of a first picture and the remaining facets in each said cube displaying segments of five different additional pictures such that when said one facet of all said cubes all face upward and said cubes are correctly arranged side by side each other, said one facets combine to display an entire said first picture.
 7. The jigsaw puzzle of claim 6 wherein at least two said facets of each said cube display the segments of two different said pictures such that when one of said two facets of all said cubes face upward and said cubes are correctly arranged side by side each other, said one of said two facets combine to display an entire one of said two pictures.
 8. The jigsaw puzzle of claim 6 further including a sheet on which said cubes are adapted to be placed, said cubes being magnetized and said sheet being magnetically attracted to said cubes.
 9. The jigsaw puzzle of claim 6 further including a sheet on which said cubes are adapted to be placed, said sheet being magnetized and said cubes being magnetically attracted to said sheet.
 10. The jigsaw puzzle of claim 6 further including a frame having a sheet at the base thereof, upstanding side walls on each side thereof and upstanding front and back walls on the front and back of said frame, said frame being dimensioned to accommodate said cubes therein such that when said cubes are arranged side by side each other on said sheet to form said picture, said side, front and back walls confine said cubes therein and prevent said cubes from moving within said frame, one of said cubes and said sheet being magnetized such that said cubes are attracted to said sheet.
 11. The jigsaw puzzle of claim 10 wherein said sheet is magnetized and each said cube is hollow for receipt of steel wool to which said sheet is attracted. 